My So-Called Death by Stacey Jay

author’s website: Stacey Jay
release date: March 1, 2010
appeals to: Young Adult
genre: Paranormal (zombies)
length: 240 Pages
overall rating: 4.5 stars

*summary* (from the publisher’s website)
Just because you don't have a pulse doesn't mean you can't be perky.

One second, freshman Karen Vera's on top of the most fabulous cheer pyramid ever. The next, she's lying on the pavement with seriously unflattering cranial damage. Freakishly alive without a pulse, Karen learns that she's a genetically undead zombie.

Suddenly, Karen's non-life is an epic disaster. She's forced to attend a boarding school for the "death-challenged," her roommate is a hateful wannabe-Goth weirdo, and she's chowing down on animal brains every day to prevent rot (um, ew?). Even worse, someone is attacking students and harvesting their brains for a forbidden dark ritual. And it might be the hottest guy at DEAD High, the one who makes Karen's non-beating heart flutter!

Armed with a perky smile and killer fashion sense, it's up to Karen to track down the brain snatcher and save her fellow students from certain zombie death.

*my review*
In three words: cute, snarky, and fun!

I thought this book was a ton of fun to read. The opening is excellent – it sets the mood for the book and really shows the personality of the narrator right away. This was an adorable story with mystery, twists and turns, and even a little bit of romance. Karen’s snarky attitude was fun to read. She isn’t afraid to make fun of herself or point out her mistakes (which isn’t always an easy thing to do!). I also liked that you were never quite sure of whether the characters were the “good guys” or the “bad guys” – and even when you are sure that you’ve figured things out, it can change!

This is a great choice for fun and light summer reading.

*short and snappy*
writing: snarky & fun – Jay writes in a style that is just fun to read
plot: full of twists and turns – you’re never quite sure of what will happen next
characters: fun – Karen especially is the kind of person that I’d want to be friends with
judging by the cover: a cute cover, but it doesn’t give anything away about the plot
miscellaneous: There is an excerpt available here.

The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
(Spoiler warning: Because this book is part of a series, this review may contain spoilers of earlier books. If you haven’t read the previous books, you may want to skip this review)

author’s website: Carrie Ryan
release date: March 9, 2010
appeals to: Young Adult
genre: Paranormal / Zombies
length: 416 pages
overall rating: 5 Stars

*the inside flap*
Gabry lives a quiet life, secure in her town next to the sea and behind the Barrier. She’s content to let her friend dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her light house. Home is all she’s ever known, and all she needs for happiness.
But life after the Return is never safe, and there are threats even the Barrier can’t hold back.
Gabry’s mother thought she left her secrets behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, but like the dead in their world, secrets don’t stay buried. And now, Gabry’s world is crumbling.
One night beyond the Barrier . . .
One boy Gabry’s known forever and one veiled in mystery . . .
One reckless moment, and half of Gabry’s generation is dead, and the other half imprisoned.
Gabry knows only one thing: if she is to have any hope of a future, she must face the forest of her mother’s past.

*my review*
First, let me say that this book was absolutely fantastic. There is a ton of fast moving plot and I felt like I couldn’t put it down! I loved The Forest of Hands and Teeth, but this book was faster moving and had even more twisting and turning in the plot.

I was struck right away by the contrast between Gabry and her mother, Mary (the main character from The Forest of Hands and Teeth). The story starts with Gabry describing how she feels like the boundaries of her village are safe and protecting. She even says that the boundaries “were what held me together, what kept me safe and protected and whole” (p. 4). That struck me because her mother felt just the opposite in the first book. The whole plot of the first story was about breaking through the boundaries, so to hear this protagonist talking about needing them was interesting.

So much happens in the first part of the book that you are drawn in to the story and it becomes difficult to put the book down. There is a love interest between Gabry and Catcher, but after the attack (within the first two chapters), Catcher becomes infected, which obviously puts a glitch in things. Then Gabry meets Elias, and he seems to have love-interest potential too! And through all of that, there is the constant contrast of do I stay inside the boundaries or push past them.

Gabry is a very multi-faceted character. She is much braver than she ever realizes. It is interesting – she’ll describe all of her fear and doubt and hesitation, and then she do incredibly brave things anyway. She seems to believe that having the doubts make her weak, but really, her actions speak mountains for her bravery.

Overall, this story was incredible. I was completely drawn in to the world that Carrie Ryan created. The characters are so thoroughly detailed that you feel like you

*short and snappy*
writing: captivating – there is a lot of detail, but it never felt overdone to me. I think that the details added to the story by making it so realistic (even in a fantasy world)
plot: quick-paced and suspenseful – it definitely holds your interest!
characters: thorough – the characters are so detailed that you feel like you know them.
judging by the cover: I think this cover is beautifully done. It’s probably half of the reason I picked up the book.
miscellaneous: On her website, Carrie Ryan shares that there will be a third book in this series. Right now, it’s due out in Spring 2011.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

author’s website: Carrie Ryan
release date: March 10, 2009
appeals to: Young Adult
genre: Paranormal / Zombies
length: 320 pages
overall rating: 5 Stars

*the inside flap*
In Mary’s world, there are simple truths.
The Sisterhood always knows best.
The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village. The fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.
But slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.
Now she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death?

*my review*
I saw this book and passed over it what feels like 100 times. I even read the cover a few times, but always put it back. Then, when The Dead-Tossed Waves came out last month, I loved the cover and read some good reviews, so I decided to start with the first book. And I am SO glad I did! This is an amazing story of adventure, romance, suspense, and difficult choices. Those ingredients and a fast paced plot kept me hooked! I read the last 250 pages in one sitting, and wasn’t ready for the story to end.

As this book started, there were a lot of things right away that didn’t really make sense. In the first 20 pages, you are introduced to the complicated romance situation between Mary, Harry, and Travis; Mary’s mother is infected; and you hear about the Guardians, the Sisters, and the Unconsecrated, but none of that is really explained.

The Sisters are very religious and nurse the sick, but when Mary is taken into their care, you also find that they are very strict and have a lot of rules and secrets within the walls of their Cathedral. Sister Tabitha, the “head” Sister is especially perplexing. I kept wondering if she was really as mean as she seemed, or if she was just testing Mary. It is within the Cathedral that two major characters are brought into the story: Gabrielle and Travis. While Travis is mentioned earlier, it isn’t until he comes to the Cathedral that you really understand Mary’s feelings for him. And Gabrielle – the outsider – is perhaps the ingredient that pushes Mary to question the outside more than anything else.

Mary isn’t content living within the city, and throughout the entire story, she seems to want more. But even when “more” comes, it isn’t enough. The other characters in this story aren’t completely developed with descriptions, but rather through Mary’s observations and interactions. You really get a sense of how her interactions with them has changed since childhood, and the characters even point out the fact that Mary always wants more. She is searching, but no one seems to know what she’s searching for.

Overall, this book was incredible. I’m not sure what exactly I expected when I started this book, but it far exceeded any expectation I could have had. There are a ton of ingredients that make this a great story. There is enough conclusion in this book for tie things up, but I’m excited to read the companion novel (The Dead-Tossed Waves) next!

*short and snappy*
writing: eloquent – Ryan describes everything so clearly that you are able to fall into the world she creates without realizing it.
plot: captivating – the suspense, adventure, and unexpected twists had me reading the last 250 pages in one sitting
characters: As the narrator, Mary is the easiest to understand, but her interactions with the others shows relationships that have grown and changed – even within this story
judging by the cover: The cover didn’t draw my in, but after reading the story, I get it.
miscellaneous: Amazon has a pretty great Q and A with Carrie Ryan here.

Undead Much? by Stacey Jay

Undead Much? by Stacey Jay
(Spoiler warning: Because this book is part of a series, this review may contain spoilers of earlier books. If you haven’t read the previous books, you may want to skip this review)

author’s website: Stacey Jay
release date: January 21, 2010
appeals to: Young Adult
genre: Paranormal (Zombies)
length: 304 pages
overall rating: 4 Stars

*the back cover*
Q: How many guys does it take to make your boyfriend wild with jealousy?
A: Only one, if he’s UNDEAD.

Megan Berry had a perfectly average new-sundress-and-boy-obsessed life – until her power to settle the Undead returned. Oh, and then her best friend tried to kill her – and ruin homecoming – with a bunch of black magically raised zombies. At least she got a spot on the pom squad and a smokin’ boyfriend (Ethan). But now Megan is in deep fertilizer all over again. Why? Well, let’s see. . .
* Feral new super-strong zombies? Check
* Cheerleader vs. pom squad turf war threatening half time as they know if? Check.
* An Undead psychich hottie (Cliff) who’s predicting a zombie apocalypse – and doing his best to tempt Megan away from Ethan? Yum. I mean, check.
* Earth-shattering secrets that could land Megan in Settler prison for lif? Um. . . it wasn’t me!!!

Everyone thinks Megan’s at fault for the new uber-zombie uprising. Looks like she’ll need the help of both Cliff and Ethan if she’s going to prove her innocence before it’s too late.

*my review*
After reading “You Are So Undead to Me,” I was excited to read the sequel, but this book started out kind of slow and a little confusing. There were Zombies who weren’t acting like normal Zombies, Megan was in trouble but didn’t know why, and Mom and Dad were acting weird. Then there is the introduction of a new character – Cliff – who is another un-normal zombie, but with psychic visions. And, Monica – Megan’s nemesis in the first book - was actually being nice to her.

So even with the slow-ish plot, I was interested in the way that the characters were developing and I was intrigued as to where the story was going, so I kept reading, and boy, am I glad I did!! About half way through the story, the plot really starts to pick up. There is more action, and a lot more suspense, even than the first book. And the story seems to come to a great conclusion – questions are answered, problems are solved, etc. EXCEPT that the last three pages gave me an “are you freaking kidding me? There has to be a sequel!!” attitude!

The interactions with characters in the first half of this book actually added to the intrigue. Cliff was especially interesting. He seemed to like Megan and her attraction to him was kind of weird because (1) she’s supposed to be head-over-heels for Ethan, and (2) he’s dead! We also meet Aaron in this book. He’s the new (and only) male cheerleader, but he is also super creepy. And coming back to Monica, she seemed to be concerned about Megan, but I kept thinking – Jess was nice in the first book and look how that turned out!

Overall, I thought this was a very fun book, and I am VERY hopeful that there will be more to come in the story of Megan Berry!

*short and snappy*
writing: quick and fun in the same style as “You Are So Undead to Me”
plot: slow to start, but it picks up speed about half way through and finishes VERY strong
characters: growing – you learn a lot more about the “supporting” characters (Monica and Ethan mostly) in this story than in the first book
memorable line: “By lunchtime I hated my life and all the people happily chattering in the cafeteria. I hated raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens and all that crap.” (p. 56)
judging by the cover: cute – I love that the characters faces aren’t shown; it lets me put the faces as I imagine them to be in the scene
miscellaneous: I was recently reading Stacey Jay’s blog, and love it. Reading it feels like having a conversation with a friend.

You are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay

You are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay

author’s website: Stacey Jay
release date: January 22, 2009
appeals to: Young Adult
genre: Fantasy / Zombies
length: 272 pages
overall rating: 3.5 stars

*the back cover*
Q: How many zombies does it take to ruin a social life?
A: Not many.

Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she’s part-time shrink to a whole bunch of semi-dead people with killer issues. All Megan really wants is to go to homecoming, but when you’re trailed by a bunch of slobbering corpses whenever you leav the house, it’s kinda hard to score a date. Let’s just say Megan’s love life could use some major resuscitation.

Megan’s convinced her life can’t get any worse – until someone in school starts using black magic to turn average, angsty Undead into scary, hardcore flesh-eating Zombies. Now it’s up to Megan to stop the Zombie apocalypse. Her life – and more importantly, the homecoming dance – depends on it.

*my review*
I have never really read a “zombie book” so I when I picked this up, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I didn’t have a base of knowledge about zombies to work with, so it was fun to try something new.
The story seems to have two main parts: 1 – Megan the teenager who wants to go to homecoming with the Senior boy, and 2 – Megan the Zombie Settler with incredible power. The play between the two is interesting and provides for an entertaining story. I thought that Megan’s emotional rollercoaster between Josh and Ethan would be a cute and fun story in itself, but adding in the Zombie Settler parts of the plot made the book much more action packed, especially toward the end of the book. The last third of the book is very intense with a lot of twisting plot lines coming together and a few HUGE surprises. There is enough closer to the story that this book could stand alone, but there is a sequel (Undead Much).

The characters in this story were interesting to read about. Megan seems very mature for 15 when she’s doing her Zombie Settler stuff, but she definitely shows that she is 15 when she’s interacting with or even thinking about the boys. Monica is the character to hate. She’s the mean girl, who has control over whether or not Megan will make the pom squad. Ethan and Josh were both interesting, but I preferred Ethan from the start. Josh seems to be the stereotypical “dumb jock” – a point which is supported by the fact that he (a senior) and Megan (a sophomore) have a class together!

Overall, this is a quick, fun read!

*short and snappy*
writing: quick and fun – Jay really captures the voice of the teenagers in the story
plot: fast paced – there are twists and turns – especially at the end – which I love!
characters: interesting – Megan seems pretty well developed, but since the book is from her perspective, it’s easier to learn about her.
judging by the cover: I love the cover! I think it sends a message, but is simply done.
miscellaneous: There are links for “Freebies” on Jay’s website that allow you to download computer wallpapers based on this story.